United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
| Southern District of Indiana |
|---|
| Seventh Circuit |
 |
| Judgeships |
| Posts: 5 |
| Judges: 4 |
| Vacancies: 1 |
| Judges |
| Chief:James Sweeney |
| Active judges:Matthew Brookman,James Patrick Hanlon,Tanya Walton Pratt,James R. Sweeney II Senior judges: |
TheUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana is one of 94United States district courts. It was created in 1928 by an act of Congress that splitIndiana into two separate districts. The district has courthouses in Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Evenasville, and New Albany,Indiana. When decisions of the court are appealed, they are appealed to theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit based inChicago, Illinois, at the Everett M. Dirksen Federal Courthouse and Building.
Vacancies
- See also:Current federal judicial vacancies
There is one current vacancy on theUnited States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, out of the court's five judicial positions.
Pending nominations
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Grove City College, 2010 | Indiana University, Maurer School of Law, 2013 |
Active judges
Article III judges
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2010 - | Spelman College, 1981 | Howard University School of Law, 1984 | ||
| September 13, 2018 - | United States Naval Academy, 1983 | University of Notre Dame Law School, 1996 | ||
| November 5, 2018 - | DePauw University, 1992 | Valparaiso University School of Law, 1996 | ||
| March 31, 2023 - | DePauw University, 1990 | University of Washington School of Law |
Active Article III judges by appointing political party
The list below displays the number of active judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democratic appointed: 2
- Republican appointed: 2
Senior judges
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 2014 - | Indiana University, 1965 | American University, Washington College of Law, 1969 | ||
| July 1, 2018 - | Indiana University, 1970 | Indiana University School of Law, 1973 | ||
| March 31, 2023 - | Drake University, 1975 | George Mason University School of Law, 1980 | ||
| July 1, 2024 - | Butler University, 1979 | Indiana University School of Law, 1983 |
Senior judges by appointing political party
The list below displays the number of senior judges by the party of the appointing president. It does not reflect how a judge may rule on specific cases or their own political preferences.
- Democratic appointed: 2
- Republican appointed: 2
Magistrate judges
Federal magistrate judges are federal judges who serve inUnited States district courts, but they are not appointed by the president and they do not serve life terms. Magistrate judges are assigned duties by the district judges in the district in which they serve. They may preside over most phases of federal proceedings, except for criminal felony trials. The specific duties of a magistrate judge vary from district to district, but the responsibilities always include handling matters that would otherwise be on the dockets of the district judges. Full-time magistrate judges serve for renewable terms of eight years. Some federal district courts have part-time magistrate judges, who serve for renewable terms of four years.[1]
| Judge | Appointed By | Assumed Office | Bachelors | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana | October 1, 2001 - | Indiana University, 1984 | Valparaiso University Law, 1989 | |
United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana | August 23, 2007 - | Indiana State University | Indiana University Law | |
United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana | December 17, 2010 - | Wabash College, 1983 | University of Toledo Law | |
United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana | May 15, 2015 - | University of Kentucky | University of Kentucky | |
United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana | April 5, 2021 - |
Former chief judges
In order to qualify for the office ofchief judge in an Article III circuit or district court, or on theUnited States Court of International Trade, a judge must be in active service and hold seniority over the court's commissioned judges who are 64 years of age or under, have served one year or more, and have not previously served as chief judge.[2]
In the event that no judge on the court meets those qualifications, the youngest judge in regular active service aged 65 years or more and who has served as a judge for one year or more shall become chief judge. If no judge meets those qualifications, the judge holding seniority in active service who has not served as chief before shall become the chief judge.[3][4][5]
The chief judge serves for a term of seven years until another judge becomes eligible to serve in the position. No judge is permitted to serve as chief judge after reaching the age of 70 years unless no other judge is qualified to serve.[3][4][5]
Unlike the chief justice of the United States, a chief judge returns to active service after the expiration of their term and does not create a vacancy on the court by the fact of their promotion.[2][3][4][5]
On theUnited States Court of Federal Claims, the chief judge is selected by thepresident of the United States. The judge must be less than 70 years of age. A chief may serve until they reach age 70 or until another judge is designated by the president as the new chief judge. If the president selects a new chief judge, the former chief judge may continue active service on the court for the remainder of their appointed term.[6]
|
Former judges
For more information about the judges of the Southern District of Indiana, seeformer federal judges of the Southern District of Indiana.
Jurisdiction
The Southern District of Indiana hasoriginal jurisdiction over cases filed within its jurisdiction. These cases can include civil and criminal matters that fall under federal law.
There are four court divisions, each covering the following counties:
TheIndianapolis Division, coveringBartholomew,Boone,Brown,Clinton,Decatur,Delaware,Fayette,Fountain,Franklin,Hamilton,Hancock,Hendricks,Henry,Howard,Johnson,Madison,Marion,Monroe,Montgomery,Morgan,Randolph,Rush,Shelby,Tipton,Union andWayne counties.[7]
TheTerre Haute Division, coveringClay,Greene,Knox,Owen,Parke,Putnam,Sullivan,Vermillion andVigo counties.[7]
TheEvansville Division, coveringDaviess,Dubois,Gibson,Martin,Perry,Pike,Posey,Spencer,Vanderburgh andWarrick counties.[7]
TheNew Albany Division, coveringClark,Crawford,Dearborn,Floyd,Harrison,Jackson,Jefferson,Jennings,Lawrence,Ohio,Orange,Ripley,Scott,Switzerland andWashington counties.[7]
Caseloads
This section contains court management statistics dating back to 2010. It was last updated in September 2025.
Click[show] below for more information on caseload terms and definitions.
| Caseload statistics explanation | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Explanation | ||||||||
| Cases filed and terminated | The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated or decided by the court in a calendar year. The chart below reflects the table columnsCases filed andCases terminated. | ||||||||
| Average time from filing to disposition | The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to date of disposition (acquittal, sentencing, dismissal, etc.). The chart below reflects the table columnsMedian time (Criminal) andMedian time (Civil). | ||||||||
| Starting case load | The number of cases pending from the previous calendar year. | ||||||||
| Cases filed | The number of civil and criminal lawsuits formally initiated in a calendar year. | ||||||||
| Cases terminated | The total number of civil and criminal lawsuits decided by the court in a calendar year. | ||||||||
| Remaining cases | The number of civil and criminal cases pending at the end of a given year. | ||||||||
| Median time (Criminal) | The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. In criminal cases, the date of disposition occurs on the day of sentencing or acquittal/dismissal. | ||||||||
| Median time (Civil) | The average amount of time, in months, from a case's date of filing to the date of disposition. | ||||||||
| Three-year civil cases | The number and percent of civil cases that were filed more than three years before the end of the given calendar year. | ||||||||
| Vacant posts | The number of months during the year an authorized judgeship was vacant. | ||||||||
| Trial/Post | The number of trials completed divided by the number of authorized judgeships on the court. Trials include evidentiary trials, hearings on temporary restraining orders, and preliminary injunctions. | ||||||||
| United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana caseload stats, 2010-2024 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Cases Filed | Cases Terminated | Cases Pending | Number of Judgeships | Vacant Judgeship Months | Average Total Filings per Judgeship | Trials Completed per Judgeship | Median time from filing to disposition, criminal | Median time from filing to disposition, civil | Three-year civil cases (#) | Three-year civil cases (%) |
| 2010 | 2,953 | 2,696 | 2,590 | 5 | 11 | 591 | 15 | 9 | 10 | 102 | 5 |
| 2011 | 2,746 | 2,709 | 2,421 | 5 | 0 | 549 | 22 | 12 | 9 | 63 | 3 |
| 2012 | 3,130 | 2,984 | 2,779 | 5 | 0 | 626 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 60 | 3 |
| 2013 | 3,483 | 3,447 | 2,821 | 5 | 0 | 697 | 22 | 10 | 9 | 57 | 2 |
| 2014 | 3,322 | 3,160 | 2,969 | 5 | 5 | 664 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 49 | 2 |
| 2015 | 3,407 | 3,412 | 2,957 | 5 | 12 | 681 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 39 | 2 |
| 2016 | 5,024 | 3,430 | 4,549 | 5 | 12 | 1,005 | 19 | 13 | 8 | 53 | 1 |
| 2017 | 6,360 | 3,937 | 6,968 | 5 | 12 | 1,272 | 15 | 13 | 8 | 100 | 2 |
| 2018 | 5,844 | 4,129 | 8,679 | 5 | 15 | 1,169 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 227 | 3 |
| 2019 | 6,932 | 5,204 | 10,410 | 5 | 0 | 1,386 | 18 | 14 | 8 | 1,129 | 12 |
| 2020 | 5,370 | 4,177 | 11,591 | 5 | 0 | 1,074 | 10 | 16 | 8 | 2,985 | 28 |
| 2021 | 4,902 | 4,672 | 11,815 | 5 | 0 | 980 | 17 | 15 | 12 | 3,810 | 35 |
| 2022 | 4,071 | 4,467 | 11,412 | 5 | 0 | 814 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 5,135 | 47 |
| 2023 | 3,791 | 3,861 | 11,339 | 5 | 0 | 758 | 13 | 19 | 10 | 5,666 | 52 |
| 2024 | 3,787 | 3,956 | 11,179 | 5 | 6 | 757 | 11 | 16 | 10 | 6,449 | 60 |
| Average | 4,341 | 3,749 | 6,965 | 5 | 5 | 868 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 1,728 | 17 |
History
Indiana was established as one judicial district by Congress onMarch 3, 1817 with one post to cover the entire state. This district court was not assigned to a judicial circuit and was therefore granted the same jurisdiction as the United States circuit courts, excluding appeals and writs of error, which are the jurisdiction of theUnited States Supreme Court.
OnMarch 3, 1837, Statute5 Stat. 176 allowed Congress to repeal the circuit court jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for the District of Indiana, and then assigned the district over to theSeventh Circuit. Congress again re-organized the circuits onJanuary 28, 1863, and assigned the District of Indiana to theEighth Circuit, and then again over to theSeventh Circuit onJuly 23, 1866.
Statute45 Stat. 437 onApril 21, 1928 divided the District of Indiana into two judicial districts known as theNorthern District of Indiana and theSouthern District of Indiana. A judgeship was assigned to each new district. Over time 4 additional judicial posts were added for a total of 5 current posts.[8]
Judicial posts
The following table highlights the development of judicial posts for the Southern District of Indiana:[8]
| Year | Statute | Total Seats |
| April 21, 1928 | 45 Stat. 437 | 1 |
| February 10, 1954 | 68 Stat. 8 | 2 |
| May 19, 1961 | 75 Stat. 80 | 3 |
| March 18, 1966 | 80 Stat. 75 | 4 |
| October 20, 1978 | 92 Stat. 1629 | 5 |
Noteworthy cases
For a searchable list of opinions, please seeJustia.com-Dockets and Filings-Southern District of Indiana.
| • Judge rules that Indiana must recognize same-sex marriages from other states (2014) Judge(s):Richard Young (Bowling v Pence, 1:14-cv-00405-RLY-TAB) | Click for summary→ | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
JudgeRichard Young's ruling on August 19, 2014, held that Indiana's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. This was not the judge's first decision to allow such marriages in the state. A couple months prior, he made a similar decision(see below). However, his rulings have been stayed pending appeal. At issue inBowling v. Pence was whether Indiana would recognize same-sex marriages that occurred in other states.[9] Young also touched on the issue of whether GovernorMike Pence should be included in the same-sex marriage lawsuits. Pence had previously argued that he had no authority to enforce the state's same-sex marriage laws. However, after Young first struck down the state's ban on such marriages in June, Gov. Pence issued a memo saying that the ban was still effective and that the judge's ruling should be disregarded. Young responded, writing in theBowling order:
| ||||
| • Judge rules Indiana prisons' treatment of the mentally ill is cruel and unusual punishment (2012) Judge(s):Tanya Walton Pratt (Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Commission v. Indiana Dept. of Correction, No. 08-01317) | Click for summary→ |
|---|---|
In December 2012, JudgeTanya Walton Pratt ruled against the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) in regards to the State treatment of mentally ill inmates.[12] IDOC has sometimes used solitary confinement in cases of mentally ill inmates, confining them to their cells for between 23 and 24 hours per day. This is a standard practice of the State in the case of any inmate deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, regardless of mental state.[13][14] In her ruling, Judge Pratt found this practice to constitute cruel and unusual punishment in the case of mentally ill inmates, as they do not receive the minimally acceptable level of care in solitary confinement. Pratt also noted that such confinement often leads to an exacerbation of the mental illness, sometimes resulting in worsening condition, more violent outbursts, or increased suicide attempts.[12] Perhaps most notably, Pratt's ruling called the practices of IDOC, "deliberately indifferent," noting that the department was aware of the issues with their care of the mentally ill, though they did little or nothing to correct the problem. This is not Pratt's first high profile ruling in Indiana. In 2011, Prattissued the preliminary injunction that disallowed the state from partially defunding Planned Parenthood. | |
Noteworthy events
Federal Judicial Conference recommendation (2019)
In March 2019, the Federal Judicial Conference (FJC) recommended that two judgeships be added to the district.[15] Based on FJC data, the district handled 1,009 weighted filings per judgeship from September 2017 to September 2018. Weighted filings are a specific metric used by the federal judiciary that accounts for the different amounts of time judges require to resolve types of civil and criminal cases. The national average in that period for weighted filings per judgeship was 513.[16]
The FJC is the policy-making body for the United States federal courts system. It was first organized as the Conference of Senior Circuit Judges in 1922.[17] The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States serves as chair of the conference. The members of the conference are the chief judge of each judicial circuit, the Chief Judge of the Court of International Trade, and a district judge from each regional judicial circuit.[18]
Federal courthouse
Four separate courthouses serve the Southern District of Indiana: the Birch Bayh Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse in Indianapolis, the U.S. Courthouse in Terre Haute, the Winfield K. Denton Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse in Evansville, and the Lee H. Hamilton Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse in New Albany.[19]
About United States District Courts
TheUnited States district courts are the generaltrial courts of theUnited States federal courts. There are 94 such courts. Bothcivil andcriminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of both law and equity.
There is aUnited States bankruptcy court and a number ofbankruptcy judges associated with each United States district court. Eachfederal judicial district has at least one courthouse, and most districts have more than one.
There is at least one judicial district for each state, and one each for Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. District courts in three insular areas—the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands—exercise the same jurisdiction as U.S. district courts. Despite their name, these courts are technically not District Courts of the United States. Judges on theseterritorial courts do not enjoy the protections ofArticle III of the Constitution, and serve terms of 10 years rather than for life.
There are677 U.S. District Court judgeships.[20][21]
The number of federal district judge positions is set by the U.S. Congress in Title 28 of the U.S. Code, Section 133, which authorizes a set number of judge positions, or judgeships, making changes and adjustments in these numbers from time to time.
In order to relieve the pressure of trying the hundreds of thousands of cases brought before the federal district courts each year, many trials are tried by juries, along with a presiding judge.[22]
Appointments by president
The chart below shows the number of district court judges confirmed by the U.S. Senate through February 1 of the second year of presidents' second term in office. At this point in the term, President Obama had the most district court appointments with 32.
Judges by district
- See also:Judicial vacancies in federal courts
The table below displays the number of judges in each district and indicates how many were appointed by presidents from each major political party. It also includes the number of vacancies in a district and how many pending nominations for that district are before theUnited States Senate. The table can be sorted by clicking the column headers above the line, and you can navigate through the pages by clicking the arrows at the top of the table. It is updated every Monday.
Judicial selection
The district courts are served byArticle III federal judges who are appointed for life during "good behavior." They are usually first recommended by senators (or members of the House, occasionally). The President of the United States makes the appointments, which must then be confirmed by the U.S. Senate in accordance withArticle III of the United States Constitution.[21]
| Step |  A Candidacy Proceeds |  A Candidacy Halts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Recommendation made by Congress Member to the President | President Nominates toSenate Judiciary Committee | President Declines Nomination |
| 2. Senate Judiciary Committee interviews Candidate | Sends candidate to Senate for confirmation | Returns candidate to President, who may re-nominate to Committee |
| 3. Senate votes on candidate confirmation | Candidate becomes federal judge | Candidate does not receive judgeship |
Magistrate judges
The district courts are also served by magistrate judges. Congress created the judicial office offederal magistrate in 1968. In 1990, the position title was changed tomagistrate judge. The chief judge of each district appoints one or more magistrate judges, who discharge many of the ancillary duties of district judges so judges can handle more trials. There are both full-time and part-time magistrate judge positions, and these positions are assigned to the district courts according to caseload criteria (subject to funding by Congress). A full-time magistrate judge serves a term of eight years; a part-time magistrate judge's term of office is four years.[23]
See also
- United States Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit
- Central District of Illinois
- Northern District of Illinois
- Southern District of Illinois
- Northern District of Indiana
- Eastern District of Wisconsin
- Western District of Wisconsin
External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana
- Judges of the Southern District of Indiana
- Official Website of the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Indiana
- Opinions of the Northern District of Indiana
Footnotes
- ↑Federal Judicial Center, "Magistrate Judgeships," accessed April 29, 2021
- ↑2.02.1United States Courts, "Frequently Asked Questions," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑3.03.13.2Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 136 - Chief judges; precedence of district judges," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑4.04.14.2Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 258 - Chief judges; precedence of judges," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑5.05.15.2Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 45 - Chief judges; precedence of judges," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute, "28 U.S. Code § 171 - Appointment and number of judges; character of court; designation of chief judge," accessed January 25, 2022
- ↑7.07.17.27.3U.S. Marshals Service-Southern District of Indiana
- ↑8.08.1Federal Judicial Center, "History of the Southern District of Indiana," accessed May 5, 2021
- ↑Human Rights Campaign, "Federal Court Rules Indiana Must Recognize Out-of-State Same-Sex Marriages," August 20, 2014
- ↑Indy Star, "Latest ruling overturning same-sex marriage ban makes Indiana governor a party to suit," August 19, 2014
- ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑12.012.1USA Today, "Judge: Indiana violated rights of mentally ill inmates," January 2, 2013
- ↑Sacremento Bee, "Erika D. Smith: Freeing prisoners is only half the battle," January 2, 2013
- ↑WFPL, "Judge: Indiana ‘indifferent’ to mentally ill inmates," January 2, 2013
- ↑Federal Judicial Conference, "March 2019 Recommendations," accessed July 25, 2019
- ↑US Courts, "Table X-1A—Other Judicial Business (September 30, 2018)," accessed July 24, 2019
- ↑US Courts, "Governance & the Judicial Conference," accessed July 25, 2019
- ↑US Courts, "About the Judicial Conference," accessed July 25, 2019
- ↑Southern District of Indiana, "Court Locations," accessed May 5, 2021
- ↑US Courts, "Federal Judgeships," accessed May 10, 2021 (archived)
- ↑21.021.1U.S. Courts, "United States District Court Federal Judiciary Frequently Asked Questions," accessed May 10, 2021 (archived)
- ↑United States District Courts, "District Courts," accessed May 10, 2021
- ↑The 'Lectric Law Library, "Understanding the U.S. federal courts"
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Active judges | Chief Judge: James Sweeney (Indiana) • Tanya Walton Pratt • Matthew Brookman • J.P. Hanlon | ||
| Senior judges | Sarah Barker • Richard Young (Federal judge) • William Lawrence (Indiana) • Jane Magnus-Stinson • | ||
| Magistrate judges | Tim Baker • Craig McKee • Mark Dinsmore • Van Willis • Mario Garcia (Indiana) • | ||
| Former Article III judges | David Hamilton (Seventh Circuit) • Larry McKinney • John Tinder • Robert Baltzell • Gene Brooks • Samuel Dillin • Cale Holder • James Noland • William Steckler • | ||
| Former Chief judges | David Hamilton (Seventh Circuit) • Sarah Barker • Larry McKinney • Richard Young (Federal judge) • Jane Magnus-Stinson • Gene Brooks • Samuel Dillin • James Noland • William Steckler • Tanya Walton Pratt • | ||
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